EXIT STRATEGY
by Neil Davies
Summary: When Luke Smith begs Jo Grant for her help she feels duty bound to give it, especially as Mr Smith seems about to wrench himself free from 13 Bannerman road forever.


10

EXIT STRATEGY

A Jo Grant Adventure, sequel to DESPARIA

Jo expected looks and whispering and silent questions, after all it had been a long time since she'd been on campus or in a canteen full of teenagers so she felt self-conscious and awkward good grief they were all so young and the skirts were daringly short. Then Jo recalled her own skirt at that age, realising it had been even shorter.

Luckily one of the youths rose and waved her over to his table, slender and dark haired the boy had an intense, intellectual quality that marked him out from others he also seemed to be a bit of a loner; nothing knew there then.

Jo decided not to hug him, Luke wasn't the tactile sort, "Thanks for coming," he seemed very on edge.

The phone call had been a bit garbled but she'd picked up on the anxiety all right, Luke was upset big time.

"It's Mr Smith," said the boy, "He's gone mad I think, he's tearing himself loose from the wall."

Jo pictured the huge alien computer in her mind he'd never done anything like that before.

"Why," she asked, Luke seemed to have had no idea his expression and posture said as much?

"The only words he'll say to me don't make any sense."

"What are they," Jo probed?

"Exit Strategy," Luke replied and Jo blinked trying to make sense of it.

"Have you asked him to explain this?"

"Of course, he won't tell me anything," Luke swallowed his voice having risen a degree too high, "If this carries on he'd going to bring the roof in, he's already badly damaged the attic and cracked the ceiling."

Jo was curious about something, "You mean you still live at Bannerman road," she asked, "Who pays the bills?"

"The bills have been paid in advance for a whole year," Luke revealed.

"But that's not possible Luke surely your mother's accounts have been frozen," Sarah-Jane Smith had been missing now for 3 months.

"It's not my mum paying the bills," revealed the teenager, "Some private benefactor but I can't find out who he is, the bank won't tell me and Mr Smith has stopped talking."

That was odd who could afford to be so generous, a year's worth of bills on the big corner house would come to a tidy amount.

"It's clearly not you is it Jo," said Luke and Jo smiled at the irony of the question, as if?

"I don't see what I can do to help Luke; I mean Mr Smith doesn't belong to me why would he listen to me anymore than you?"

But the kid was clearly beside himself with worry, "I don't have anyone else I can ask you're my last hope, please try Jo just come to the house."

It was against all her instincts to plunge into yet another adventure with the Smith family especially after how the last one had ended; the loss of Sarah. But Jo wasn't the kind of person to just abandon her friends in the middle of a crisis especially not Sarah's adopted son, whom she'd come to like and respect a lot.

"Okay Luke," she sighed, "I don't know if it will do any good but I will try."

Jo could hear the creaking noises the moment Luke let her in to the big old house where he and his mum had lived while she forged a career as a freelance journalist, the walls and floor were vibrating and motes of dust fell from the ceiling which was badly split in places painting chairs and tables with a dirty snow of plaster. Mounting the stairs Jo flinched as the creaking, crunching noises got worse, Luke had been right it did feel as though the place was being demolished from within, the higher she got the louder the noise became as things snapped, broke and shattered. When they encountered a cloud of dust Jo had to cover her mouth but she still began to cough, just how dangerous was this what if the house collapsed under them?

"Wait outside Luke," she said, "This isn't safe."

But he steadfastly refused to go, "This is my home I'm not leaving it."

It may not be your home for very much longer she thought as the stairs shuddered drunkenly beneath them.

It was almost a relief to reach the attic and pushing its door inwards Jo was blinded by yet another cloud of dust which she felt peppering her hair and clothes, coughing again she cleared her throat and said the computer's name, she said it again and a third time.

No good said her glance at Luke he isn't responding, try again he urged so this time she said, "Mr Smith I need you," the old code phrase and the crunching breaking noises instantly ceased, the dust cloud starting to dissipate. As her vision adjusted to the attic, which was a mass of broken timber, shattered slate and a sea of powderised plaster Jo could see that the alien machine was almost free of its moorings and stood there on 8 vast metallic spidery legs, it had pulled free most of its cables and the alcove it used to sit in was a great jagged maw of exposed roofing tile and joists.

Nothing could have prepared Jo for this sight and it was one of the saddest things she had ever seen she felt like crying, first Sarah and now Mr Smith it was as if her reality was being torn apart.

"Go back," Luke urged the machine, "Return to the wall," but it ignored him its screen saver a swirling pattern of red cubes and triangles.

Jo edged closer feeling the floorboards creak ominously, "Explain exit strategy," she commanded in the tone of voice Sarah might have used.

Mr Smith boomed back, "Exit strategy initiated and confirmed."

"That," said Jo "Is not an explanation."

"No explanation is required Miss Grant," the reply was blunt and almost dismissive.

"Have you gone mad why are you doing this," Luke implored, "We still need your help?"

"Others need it more," Smith hummed with a rash of red lights.

"Others," Jo enquired, "Who are these others and why must you obey them over us, explain yourself?"

Balanced on the 8 massive girder-thick legs the computer swayed slightly, "Previous program overridden, old loyalty cancelled."

"No it isn't," Jo argued, "You helped Sarah-Jane by choice nobody can take that choice away from you."

"The first-ones can," Smith answered and swapping a look the two humans both frowned, first-ones who the devil were they.

"Explain first-ones," Luke commanded, "Show them to us."

"NO" the word made them both jump and hold their ears.

"Why not," Jo grimaced still holding her ears which were ringing from the deep trumpet?

"All data on the first-ones is highly secret and not to be shared it is part of the exit strategy."

"Override it," Luke instructed but it was clear Smith couldn't do this or wouldn't then Jo had an idea maybe they were approaching this in entirely the wrong way, if the evacuation couldn't be stopped then there was one other thing they could do.

It was even stranger than the TARDIS being a vast blue, purple and orange room vaguely cube-like with an eerie fanfare of lights and geometric patterns all over the place many of which weren't even solid, luckily one thing that was, was the crystalline console along one wall and a screen giving a bird's eye view of what was outside not that Jo or Luke could see much beyond stars and space, they were no longer on earth it seemed Mr Smith had taken off vertically bursting through the roof of the house, smashing it wide open then accelerated into the sky and clouds and through them into the stratosphere.

Jo had instructed the computer to teleport them inside its massive body before it took off and Mr Smith had dully obliged, now they were its captive in a way because there was no obvious way out.

"Where are we," Jo finally asked when her stomach returned to its normal place, "I can't see earth at all?"

Luke addressed the console which he seemed to understand with his heightened intelligence, working controls and dials he brought up a small display box of figures and coordinates.

"We're holding orbit near Saturn," he said much to Jo's alarm, Saturn was a huge distance from earth although not as far as she had been in the past.

"Why there," she remarked?

"I'm not sure but there's something else in orbit with us I think it's a ship, Mr Smith is receiving a signal from the ship."

"Can you patch us in so we can hear it," Jo asked, Luke's look to her said _what do you think I'm trying to do?_ She backed off with a silent sorry and let him get on with it. Had this been a good idea asking the computer to take them along for the ride, she was beginning to doubt herself now because there didn't seem to be much they could do? With Luke busy she did a quick circuit of the strange interior realising it was much bigger than it first appeared, what she though of as walls were just fields of soft light that her hands could go right through.

It seemed that Mr Smith like the TARDIS was bigger on the inside and that was odd, why would a crystalline alien be dimensionally transcendental? Jo recalled the first time the Doctor has tried to explain it to her, she just hadn't grasped the concept; the idea of the inside of something occupying a different reality was goofy but here it was again.

"Luke," she muttered, "What exactly is Mr Smith only he's not just a computer is he?"

The boy was busy and so didn't look up as he replied, "He's a XYLOK a crystalline alien who fell to earth thousands of years ago, there's so much about him we still don't understand but he seems to be evolving and changing all the time."

"Have you noticed how vast his interior is - it seems to stretch on forever," said Jo, "Parts of it appear to exist in another reality altogether."

"Yeah I have noticed that," Luke sounded irritable like she was distracting him on purpose.

"But why is that," Jo pondered, "What if this XYLOK is more than a mere source of information."

Now the youth did glance up puzzled, "Like what," he asked, "What else could he be?"

Jo wasn't sure she was just thinking out loud voicing ideas in the hope that Luke might latch on to one.

"Well it's carried us into space Luke so it has the qualities of a space ship, plus we have full life support in here we can breathe, we aren't floating around and the temperature is just like in the attic."

Mulling this over the boy bit a lip, "I've found out something interesting to Jo, there are actually two artificial personalities in here, our Mr Smith the one who talks to us and solves problems and a kind of XYLOX consciousness that can override him, the signals from the alien ship are directed at this second larger mind."

Jo was intrigued Luke seemed to be saying that Mr Smith had a kind of split personality, two minds, two different personalities, "Can you isolate our Mr Smith," she asked he had to be around somewhere?

"I think I already have," Luke replied indicating a rash of winking lights that had just come on, "He's still around in here somewhere held captive by the larger mind," turning Luke pointed into the distance beyond a shimmering curtain of bluish purplish light, "Over there I think," he took out a slim pencil thin object with a glowing tip, "Sonic lip stick," he grinned, "It belonged to mum."

For the first time in ages Jo felt a stab of optimism maybe they had a fighting chance after all, if they could contact their Mr Smith and join forces with him they might have a chance, alone things seemed a bit bleak after all what could they do orbiting Saturn?

Leading her over to a flickering wall of light Luke scanned this several times in a sweeping pattern careful not to touch it, then with more confidence he lowered the lip stick and extended a hand towards the wall, "Here goes," he said thrusting his fingers through it, "Seems okay," he said.

"No Luke let me," Jo volunteered but before she could do anything he had stepped right through the curtain of energy.

"It's fine Jo come on," he had his mother's courage and no mistake and Jo was glad now he'd accompanied her, "The signal is coming from just ahead of us," he indicated a brighter corona of light like a large tent or dome, "I think our Mr Smith is in there."

Jo was wary, "Watch out for booby traps," in her experience there were always booby traps how many had she tripped over during her youth?

"Not detecting anything," said Luke again sweeping the sonic back and forth, "I'll change frequency just to be sure."

"This other mind Luke is it aware of us does it know we're here," she asked?

"I should think so we're registered as life forms on the system."

Then how come she mused the thing had let them in why was it even now keeping them alive, it had to know they'd work against it?

"We need to be very careful Luke it could turn against us at any time."

Nodding he moved upto the large corona then slowly eased through it, "I think this is safe Jo."

Anxiously she held back hoping this wasn't a set-up of some kind and they were being lured into danger, "Can you still detect our Mr Smith?"

Luke nodded, "He's in here."

"Can we speak to him without going into that corona?"

Luke sighed there was some kind of dampening field that they'd have to go through physically, "I'll go in alone if you like Jo."

Smiling at this she shook her head she couldn't let a mere kid take this risk alone, not with a former UNIT operative to hand.

"I don't think so," she said hurrying to join him.

It was an old fashioned boxy, clunky TV like something from Jo's childhood it even looked black and white and had those ancient cabinet doors that you could close over the front. Of course Luke had never seen anything like it, to his generation it was as archaic as the horse and trap and he broke out into a huge grin.

"What's this old piece of junk, it must be out of the arc," he said and Jo felt a pang of annoyance.

"This is what the earliest televisions used to look like, my parents had one; back then there were only two TV channels you know."

His look was one of abject disbelief as though nobody could live with just two channels and stay sane, "You're joking," he said, "How far back are we going, 100 years?"

Sometimes young master Smith could be very patronising thought Jo and decided to let it pass or she might have to reveal her own age and she didn't want to go there.

"Is Mr Smith inside that," she asked?

"Yeah according to my sonic he is; it's some kind of psi-tech prison."

"Can we get him out of it," Jo wondered?

Shrugging Luke leaned forwards, "Maybe if we could turn it on, but I don't see a remote."

With an impatient grin Jo walked upto the TV, bent over and twisted a knob, "This is how we did it in my day, wrist action."

"How boring," Luke responded as the TV screen flickered and snowed then a tiny white dot formed, "What's that?"

"These old things used to take some time to warm up, pre-digital and all that."

Still frowning Luke scanned above and around the TV set then his foot kicked something under it, reaching down he pulled out a cardboard box marked _property of SJS_ prizing this open he gazed down at a collection of oddly shaped glittering objects a mixture of rings, pyramids, disks and glowing chains – alien technology collected by his mum during her many adventures alone and with him.

"Hey look at this, mum's things her devices and gadgets they were hidden away."

Jo didn't know what most of them were for, "Do you know what they are and how to use them Luke?"

Fingering some of the artefacts the youth broke into a grin, this was much more his scene than some prehistoric tele from decades back, "These are energy converters I think," he said referring to the rings, "Matter manipulator," he touched a pyramid, "Oh look here's mum's teleport pad," he lifted a larger hand held unit that more than one person could hold onto, "It still has power maybe it's been recharged."

Then a weak grainy voice filled the air and the dot on the TV screen gave a jerky wobble as a familiar set of vowels filled the air, "Luke, Miss Grant, it's nice to see you both again after what seems ages."

Not sounding completely back to normal Mr Smith was however quite clearly his own helpful self; Jo and Luke shared a hug of joy.

"We're going to need your help," Jo declared.

"I may need yours to," the computer sighed, "I'm severely restricted, the first-ones didn't want me helping you and they are rapidly approaching I can feel them."

Jo was horrified to hear this, "What can we do," she asked but Luke seemed to know taking the sonic lip stick he jabbed the light end into a slot at the back of the TV, at once the grainy dot expanded into a bright and colourful BBC logo from the sixties complete with little girl and background music.

When Smith spoke again his voice was much clearer, the screen pulsing with each word, "Thank Luke that's much better, almost my old self," the computer quipped with typical deadpan humour, "If we're to stop the first-ones I must regain full control of all systems, will you two wheel me into my control room where the consoles are and plug me in?"

Taking an end each Jo and Luke began to move the bulky set on its arthritic castors, it wasn't easy and soon both were groaning with the effort. Jo said through gritted teeth, "Can't you help us?"

"Ah yes I forgot the brakes were on," boomed Smith and one second later he was gliding along so smoothly it only took one of them to push him; Luke did the honours. The boy said,

"These first-ones, tell us about them."

"Real name the Noari," Smith informed, "They once used the XYLOX as they slaves, until we rebelled and fled the Noari home world."

"What do you mean slaves," asked Jo, "How were you enslaved?"

"Telepathically, they could control us with their minds and use us as work machines, transport even weapons it was a dark period in our history."

Luke frowned, "But if you escaped why do these Noari want you back after all this time?"

"They have been defeated and driven off their planet by a powerful enemy, so they need us now as part of their exit strategy they wish to escape across the universe."

Jo thought she'd worked it out, "To earth you mean?"

"Very likely, "Smith agreed, "Earth would make an ideal new home base for the Noari with its plentiful supply of…err slave labour."

"The human race," Jo sighed, "I thought as much; then we've no choice we have to stop them before they reach earth."

At that moment they all felt a powerful vibration through the floor, a flickering of the lights around them and a low hum of energy.

"The Noari have docked," Smith reported unable to keep a frisson of dislike from his voice, "We must hurry; quickly get me plugged in."

They were back at the console by now but before Luke could do anything the air fizzed and shimmered to one side and two shapes began to take form, tall with thin limbs and powerful bulky upper torsos, the heads were long and angular with massive ant-like mandibles and bulging blue-green eyes that pulsed with energy.

The two aliens looked armour plated and fiercely hostile each gave off a high pitched buzzing noise that reminded Jo of a hornet's nest and both were much taller than her.

"Quickly Luke," Smith urged, "Before they…"

One second later the two Noari were moving, fanning out with dizzying speed; one shot straight towards Smith the other advanced on Jo.

"Luke the sonic," she yelled but he didn't have time to extract it and the next thing Jo knew she'd been grabbed by her arms and lifted high into the air like she were as light as a feather to the armoured insectiod alien hunter.

The other Noari lunged at the bulky TV but from this exploded a fierce crackle of green static like an explosive discharge and the alien was punched back with a squeal of pain, crashing to the floor it rolled over and over smoking and twitching but it was soon back on its feet again, tough and resilient.

"Plug me in now Luke I can't hold them off forever."

"But Jo," the boy cried just before Jo and the creature holding her blazed, shimmered and teleported away.

The bridge of the Noari ship was a honeycomb of glistening golden controls and miniature screens, Jo noticed that it dripped with a curious slime or ichor and was slightly sticky underfoot. There were 5 Noari on the bridge, 3 sat at control terminals and 2 stood gazing at her presumably the command staff including the one that held her by the arm which was fizzing with barely suppressed fury. Giant ants she thought only stood on two legs with electric green eyes, their armour was impressive but looked augmented maybe metallic and running up the outside of their limbs were these thin yellow cables or tubes full of something maybe liquid or syrup.

"Where is the XYLOX," buzz/lisped a sibilant inhuman voice it came from the tallest of the command staff possibly the ship's captain, there was no reply from any of the crew so Jo supplied one.

"Free of you," she said.

"Impossible," fizzed the Noari captain but he didn't sound too sure just before his ship shuddered and lurched slightly, one of the seated aliens glanced around.

"Docking terminated, we have been repulsed by a force field produced by the XYLOX."

Good old Luke and Mr Smith thought Jo but how would the Noari react; she soon found out as the captain clicked out.

"Project hypnotic signal bring the XYLOX back under our control."

"Signal projected," said the second in command.

"Prepare a new boarding party, kill the human intruder on sight," the captain purred.

"No you can't not Luke," Jo cried, "He's only a child don't hurt him."

Cold green eyes regarded her and the captain edged closer moving in front of Jo to peer down at this strange visitor to his craft, it was like he'd never seen a human before she thought then realised that maybe he hadn't if the Noari were new to earth.

"Please let me speak to Luke," she offered, "Maybe we can work something out."

"No negotiations with inferior species," the second in command announced but the captain waved him quiet.

"Who are you," he asked softly?

"Jo Grant I used to work for," but Jo realised these creatures would never have heard of UNIT, "I'm a special agent," she tried, "I've fought off alien invasions before," sort of she mused helped by others especially the…

"Feeble stupid thing," the captain spat back clearly not impressed.

"I put a crimp in your plans," Jo responded.

"Not for much longer Jo Grant, we the Noari are never defeated."

"That isn't what I heard, I was told you got booted off your own planet which is why you need an…an exit strategy."

A collective hum/buzz went up from the bridge crew it was not a pleasant sound and Jo shrank where she stood feeling loathed and disapproved of.

"Resume docking," the captain roared, "We must have the XYLOX at any cost."

"Signal blocked," Mr Smith informed Luke who was busy at a console punching keys, "How are you doing Luke," the computer asked?

"I've located the planet Noarel but it will take a lot of power to transmit an SOS at this range."

"Then we need to borrow some from the Noari ship," Mr Smith responded, "I'll download their power matrix generator code to your station Luke."

"Is it a good idea to involve the enemies of the Noari in our fight, I mean why should they help us?"

"A good question Luke, to which there is only one answer," Smith replied, "Wait and see."

Not entirely happy Luke hit the button that broadcast the SOS wondering who and what he was sending it to.

The next instant the air warped and crackled and 3 Noari appeared with Jo stood nervously between them an obvious hostage, the tallest of the aliens the leader glared hard at Mr Smith before addressing Luke.

"Sensors tell me you are broadcasting a carrier wave at our former home world, you will cease at once," a weapon was aimed at Jo's head a long barrelled silvery gun with a handle halfway along the stock shaped like a shark's tooth, "If you do not," the threat was obvious.

"Don't listen to them Luke," Jo cried until the weapon's tip touched her cheek to silence any rebellion.

Reaching out Luke flicked a switch killing the SOS at once, "It's done," he said.

The Noari leader next peered at Smith, "How much information do you possess about the planet earth?"

Smith answered, "230 million gigabytes of data are currently stored; have you the capacity for this?"

Swapping an anxious look the aliens seemed startled by this, "The relevant details will suffice, military strength, technology, population; no more than 100 million gigabytes," the Noari leader replied.

"Very well," said Smith, "I will download what you need if you provide your server details."

The leader waved and one of his minions approached the television with a small data wafer, not sure where to insert it. A small drawer popped open below the volume control.

"Just in there please," hummed the XYLOX amiably, "Ah yes I see thank you," the TV extended a rigid cable into the terminal before it and began to hum softly.

The Noari leader barked, "We will travel to earth and you will accompany us."

Jo asked, "What about the human population of earth what happens to them?"

Getting no response she was bundled into a seat as the Noari appeared to lose interest, turning away from her their leader began to whisper instructions. Jo threw Luke an anxious glance he just shrugged in reply like he didn't know what to do, Mr Smith was merrily humming away downloading files at a rapid rate it seemed, did he really have so much data on earth?

A winking red light was the first indication all was not well followed by a blazing light of red then a fractious klaxon. The Noari leader turned back lifting a communicator and demanding answers he did not like the reply.

"Data overload but how," he glanced at Smith, "You have exceeded our system's capacity cease downloading now," the instruction was blithely ignored as more red lights came on, "Detach at once XYLOX," the weapon was aimed at the chunky TV set, "This is your final warning, detach and desist or I will…"

Suddenly the entire room lurched violently as red strobed from floor, ceiling and all points in between.

The Noari leader had an edge of panic in his voice when he next spoke, "ship's computers going off-line, we are losing major systems, overload occurring throughout the system," he levelled his gun and…

Jo kicked it not sure what she was doing, a thin beam of angry light deflected upwards just before Mr Smith detached from the terminal, turned and shot forwards towards the Noari invaders on his castors, he clearly intended to ram them and the aliens looked on in disbelief at the block-shaped antique bearing down upon them.

Unseen Luke reactivated the SOS before jumping from his seat and sprinting over to Jo, "let's run for it," he said but she was already moving.

"Where can we go," she asked, Luke waved.

"Anywhere but here don't you think."

Mr Smith didn't ram the aliens they fired before he reached them a trio of deadly beams smashed through his screen to penetrate the TV interior which popped, sparked and began to melt the cathode ray tube exploding noisily and an ocean of dark smoke filling the air.

Ironically this helped the two humans masking their escape as they dashed into the voluminous interior of the XYLOX, had Smith been destroyed was this the end of him Jo worried and if so where did that leave her and Luke?

"Find the humans and kill them," this chilling command added impetuous to her tired legs and trying to catch up to Luke Jo stumbled and almost fell over.

"Luke wait please," she wasn't up to these mad dashes into the unknown anymore.

"There's a door ahead of us Jo," he was saying but she could hear alien foot falls behind them and knew how fast the Noari could move.

"Go through it," she told him, "Save yourself," a stitch hit her in the side and she had to stop, to her horror he came back took her by the arm and pulled her along.

"Nobody gets left behind," he told her sounding uncannily like his own mother, the door was solid not a hologram it even had a rotary handle; yanking it open he bundled her through into…Jo couldn't believe it she had to be dreaming, they couldn't be here of all places.

Coming to a dead halt she gazed around, "But I don't get it," she said, "How can we be in this place?"

Luke didn't seem to know either, he looked back at the Noari but fast as the aliens moved they didn't seem to be getting any closer it was like they were running on the spot.

Then a loud booming whistle filled the air, one of the walls split right down the middle and parted, through it some figures appeared in space suits – tall, bulky and armed but not human – other aliens, aliens hostile to the Noari.

One of the Noari collapsed with a scream caught by a flare of orange light; the others fired back at random and sought cover. Soon a vicious fire fight was taking place as more of the new aliens appeared all heavily armed; a second Noari crumpled clutching its side.

"Who are they," Jo asked?

"The people who responded to my SOS, the invaders who threw the Noari off their home world, I think they're called the Cyndrons."

My enemy's enemy is my friend thought Jo recalling an old phrase of the Doctor's that seemed entirely appropriate. Luke pulled the door shut and turned to gaze around the attic at Bannerman road, he was home.

"Mr Smith must have somehow transported us here, he can't have perished after all," Luke kicked the dusty floor. Maybe not thought Jo but he didn't come with us she thought looking at the torn dusty maw where the computer had once been housed.

The Noari would have their hands full dealing with the Cyndrons so they were unlikely to pose a future threat; earth was safe…again.

"Seems strange without him," Luke muttered.

"He saved our lives and our world," Jo pointed out, "If we don't see him again at least we owe him that much."

The timbers creaked beneath her boots alarmingly, "I think we should get out of here Luke before the whole house comes crashing down," she said.

Should Jo Grant return, vote now and let me know, why not do a review or email me at 

I'd love to hear from you.


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